OK, perhaps I need to clear up exactly what I meant. Obviously, one cannot be expected to follow all of the Rabbonim – after all, they often hold different things. However, one must have his or her own personal Rav who they ask shailos (both in halacha and in hashkafa) to. Basically, all I was trying to say was that one cannot simply do whatever they please and call it Judaism, they’ve got to have somebody to rely on.
aries2756: If that is your experience with Rabbonim, then no wonder you’re so bitter towards “the system”. Perhaps you should find yourself some new ones… B”H, my Rabbonim do nothing of the sort.